A blandly watchable kids' blockbuster and a mismatched pair of religious parables top this week's new DVD and Blu-ray releases.
Up first, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" (PG, 2012), a sequel to 2008's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," ships Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) off to Jules Verne's titular island – which, as it turns out, was the same island that inspired Jonathan Swift and Robert Louis Stevenson.
With such a surplus of influences, it's a shame that "Journey 2" isn't any smarter than it is. Sean and stepfather Hank (Dwayne Johnson) have little trouble locating the island, which Sean is convinced his grandfather (Michael Caine) has discovered, and their time there (with a pilot, played by Luis Guzman, and his daughter, played by Vanessa Hudgens) is marked mostly by silly jokes, 3-D jump scenes and interminable chase sequences.
It's mildly fun (Hutcherson is charming, and Caine is endlessly watchable, even when slumming), but it's much less than it could be.
An odd-couple pair of religious-themed dramas also make their home debut – though, despite the religious awakening of their protagonists, the films couldn't be much more different.
Family-friendly "Seven Days in Utopia" (G, 2011) stars Lucas Black as aspiring pro golfer Luke Chisholm, who has a meltdown during an important tournament and finds himself in a remote Texas town named Utopia under the tutelage of golf expert Johnny Crawford (Robert Duvall).
The film is serviceably inspirational, but it totally wastes a fantastic cast, though Black and Duvall (along with Melissa Leo) give strong performances. The ending, though, is the most annoying gimmick I've ever seen, so be warned.
"Machine Gun Preacher" (R, 2011) is a much harsher film, starring Gerard Butler as a real-life preacher, Sam Childers, who left behind a life of heroin addiction and violence for, well, more violence in defending South Sudan orphans from a life in the Lord's Resistance Army (back in the news recently with the Kony 2012 viral web videos).
The film is shockingly brutal for what on the surface would be a traditional redemption drama, frequently over-the-top and gory. Butler gives a powerful performance, but the film is frequently undecided whether his violent ends justify his means.
Also reviewed:
- "Rags to Riches: The Complete Series" (NR, 1987): This obscure TV series gets a bare-bones release on DVD. (How obscure? I'm a TV junkie and the mid-to-late '80s is right in my wheelhouse, but I could only barely remember this one.) Joseph Bologna stars as a wealthy widower who adopts five orphans (including Tisha Campbell-Martin) and molds them into a singing group. It's as silly as it sounds.
- "Workaholics: Seasons 1 2" (NR, 2011): Comedy Central's aimless, fitfully funny slacker sitcom gets an extras-laden release, a week after its third season kicks off. It wants to be as anarchic as "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," but it never quite reaches those manic heights. The characters just aren't delineated clearly enough, though at least there's no pretense that they're remotely good people.
- "The Layover" (NR, 2012): Anthony Bourdain's latest Travel Channel series comes off as a lark which, generally, is all it is. The conceit has Bourdain showing travelers how to dig into various cities (among them, Singapore, Rome and New York City) if they're stuck there for 24 to 48 hours. He has a ball finding non-touristy eateries and other must-sees, and the fun carries over to the viewer.
Also out:
- "Act of Valor" (R, 2012): Real-life Navy SEALs star in this action film, somewhat propagandistic and as unconvincingly portrayed as you'd expect from novice actors.
- "Knockdown" (R, 2012): Tom Arnold, Casey T. Evans and Bai Ling star in an ultraviolent boxing movie set in Bangkok.
- "Breaking Bad: Season Four" (NR, 2011): Walter White (Bryan Cranston) continues his descent into venality on AMC's most intense drama. This season is particularly explosive as Walter faces off against drug lord Gustavo Fring (a chilling Giancarlo Esposito). The fifth and final season kicks off July 15, so you have time to catch up.
- "Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season Eight" (NR, 2011): Larry David explores single life in New York City (and a recurring feud with Michael J. Fox) in a solid season of the HBO comedy.
- "Falling Skies" (NR, 2011): TNT's alien invasion drama, starring Noah Wyle, is generally engaging though a little too shallow.
- "White Collar: Season Three" (NR, 2011): The USA comedy-drama turns in a strong season as partners Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay work through a serious breach in trust.
- "Safe House" (R, 2012): Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds star as a fugitive and his young CIA handler who find themselves under attack.
Article source: http://amarillo.com/blog-post/chip-chandler/2012-06-05/dvd-reviews-journey-2-machine-gun-preacher-and-more
Tags: Blueray, DVDs, film, heroin addiction, home debut, Machine, melissa leo, pair, star, vanessa hudgens, violence
This entry was posted on June 6, 2012 at 11:15 am and is filed under DVDs for Blueray. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
